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Bàsil Òstair
Bàsil is the next dead man in the Scottish tale of the girl and the dead man. Rumoured to be a zombie, he's very lonely due to being avoided like the plague. Unwilling to die, he identifies as rebel for his strange tale that also features a method of resurrection. Character Personality He's an extroverted guy who unfortunately ended up shunned and alone due to looking incredibly suspicious. It used to hurt but now he's just kind of accepted that he's fated to be alone. He hates being associated with death because in reality he's pretty lively, grinning at everyone and trying to crack jokes. However when he does this, people stare at him like he's performing some bizarre curse and threaten him with violence to stop. He's pretty expressive but after being criticised will dutifully assume a bored mild expression. He doesn't want people to hate or hurt him so he will tend to comply when people tell him what to do. He needs a lot of emotional support because he tends to get upset when he's left to his own thoughts. He's scared because he wonders whether everyone is right and he's undead. He's also afraid of what will happen to him after his story- he doesn't want to be buried and forgotten about. He already feels as if that's where people think he belongs. He tends to conceal these thoughts from the few who talk to him for fear that showing them ugly thoughts will make them hate him. Those people who get to know him find that he is a bit like a dog. He's always happy to see people, and loyal to the end. He's anaemic, so tends to have fluctuating energy levels. While in temperament he's bright, he'll be completely lethargic on other days. He acts the same, but it feels more subdued. As well as anaemia he has an abnormally bad immune system and it takes a long time for any cuts or bruises to heal. He gets winded easily, and usually doesn't realise when he's over taxing himself. He's capable of sitting so still as to appear dead, and his body temperature drops dramatically. He usually has all number of aches and pains that he's learned to ignore. That's the reason he's so good at ignoring his worries. He never feels like he has the energy to cope with his problems, so instead dedicates his time to finding fun things to do. After all why face the bad things when you can spend your time pleasantly? He uses his adhesive skin mainly as a way to navigate easier. He can take advantage of it to stay upright while resting. Like a lizard, he'll use it to scale walls sometimes. That's why he tends to think of the world in an extra direction-up. Combined with being on the sidelines, he's good at coming up with new ideas and seeing things from different perspectives. This helps him when acting. Interests Bàsil loves theatre and acting. This is because it's one of the only times no one flinches when he's expressive. He also loves it because of how theatre can transform people and they don't have to stay in a single role. He usually gets the tragic character roles because of his ability to play dead so perfectly. That is, if he gets in. It's not often he is accepted into a project, so he tends to retool plays into solo acts and humorous monologues. He wishes he could at least show someone. Despite being bad at it, he actually likes running. Some nights he'll enter a trance like state where he goes to the forest and tirelessly sprints all night. When day arrives or his concentration breaks the spell will be broken and he'll collapse unable to move. He's had very many misadventures when he hasn't made it back to school in time. These are very weird and it's a pity the scripts he's created off them are unlikely to be seen. Appearance Bàsil looks like a corpse. He's deathly pale, has sunken red rimmed eyes and blackened fingernails. Most people think he's creepy. His skin is very thin and his veins and bones show through and jut out. He bruises very easily and this takes a long time to heal. Story A woman had three daughters. The eldest decided to go seek her fortune so her mother baked a bannock (a type of flat bread) and told her she could have a big bit with her curse or a small one with her blessing. The girl chose the big bit and went on her way. After a while she grew tired so sat down to eat, and some birds asked for some. She refused and sent them away. She travelled on until she came across an inn, and asked for work. The innkeeper accepted and told her to watch over her dead brother for the night. She fell asleep at her post and the innkeeper came in, saw her sleeping and knocked her dead with a stick. Later the second also decided to seek her fortune. She did exactly what her sister had done, choosing the big bit, shooing away the birds and falling asleep only to be struck dead. The third sister, when deciding to venture forth, chose the small bit with a blessing, shared with the birds, and came across the inn. She was told to watch over the man, and stayed awake sewing. The man sat up and grinned at her. She threatened to hit him with a stick if he didn't lie down. So he does. Later he does it again. Upon the third time he grins at her, she hits him with a stick. It sticks to him and to her hand and he drags her out into the forest. They run all night, branches and nuts falling in their eyes and face. At dawn they return to the inn. The girl gets paid and is given a cordial that resurrects her sisters and they go home. Bàsil's role One day the dead man came home with a child. No idea where he got a child. His sister was like 'ok' and that's how she ended up raising a child. Bàsil is most bothered by the fact that he's supposed to die despite the fact that his story features a magical resurrection potion. That's pretty weird. Bàsil would actually love to take over the inn later in life because he loves his home. He loves seeing the weird and wonderful characters who visit. Relationships Family The dead man was buried a few days after Bàsil appeared. He often visits his grave and talks to him. He can sort of talk to his soul when it appears. The innkeeper was a mother to him. Their relationship is good but she isn't afraid of giving punishment and she has swatted at him with a stick more than a few time. He's slightly scared of her. Friends He recently became friends with Infelicity DeCrypt. He's one of the only people who knows her story role. She shuts down any rumours she hears about him immediately. She tends to carry him sometimes. They are the ultimate tol/smol pair. They have a close relationship and Feli tends to look after him when he's feeling wrecked. He is also friends with Bays. She doesn't even really find his face that off putting. Though it slightly stings that the only people who really think so are those with the grim ghost seeing powers, she's thankfully not as gloomy as that would suggest. He appreciates her trying to invite him places. Hadley Quietus is pretty nice to him. Aquaintances Irena had a passing interest in him but they don't really talk much. Once she introduced him to her mother. She thinks he's weird because he doesn't seem to have a candle or lamp. He wishes they could talk more because well he wants to know more people who don't seem to judge him by appearance. Notes * Òstair means innkeeper in Scottish gaelic. * His first name combines bàs, the Scottish Gaelic word for death, and basil, the plant. * Basil historically has had fluctuating symbolism. Romans used it as a symbol of hate, others used it for Death, and sometimes it symbolises love. * Once someone gave him a joke gift of embalming fluid. He accidentally spilled it and stank for days. That did not help convince people of his aliveness. * Yes he's Scottish. Should have mentioned that? Category:Characters Category:Males Category:Rebels Category:The Girl and the Dead Man Category:Hiddenfolk's hidden folks